Daniel got into university on his own merit. No connections, no shortcuts, just hard work and a sharp mind. And it was there, in his first year at Lagos State University, sitting under a mango tree outside the faculty building, that he met Tracy Williams.
Tracy was laughing when he first saw her. A loud, carefree laugh that made everyone nearby turn and smile. She had bright eyes, natural hair, and the kind of confidence that made a room feel smaller the moment she walked in.
Daniel watched her from a distance for three weeks before he found the courage to speak to her. When he finally did, she looked at him and said, “I was wondering when you were going to say something.”
They started dating two weeks later.
For two years, they were inseparable. They ate jollof rice from the same plate in the cafeteria. They stayed in the library till midnight studying together. They walked hand in hand across campus while other students smiled and called them the perfect couple.
Daniel was proud to love her. Tracy seemed proud to be loved.
But life, as Lagos will teach you quickly, does not stay comfortable for long.
At the end of Daniel’s second year, the money ran out. His father’s pension had been delayed for months. His mother’s business had slowed down badly. Paying for two children in university was no longer possible. Daniel had a younger sister in secondary school whose fees also needed to be paid.
Something had to give.
Daniel sat with this problem alone for two weeks before he told Tracy. He didn’t want to worry her. He didn’t want to seem weak.
But one quiet evening, sitting on a bench outside her hostel, he finally said the words:
“I have to leave school. At least for now.”
Tracy grabbed his hand immediately. “No, Daniel. We’ll figure something out.”
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